Memories and Realizations
by VirgoNeko47
Summary: Dawn and Kenny have been friends forever. What happens after Dawn and Kenny seperate for years? Dawn has memories overwhelm her as she makes her way back home to Twinleaf. Will she ever see her best friend again? Will her life ever be like it once was? And will she ever get it sorted out? PenguinShipping! DawnXKenny kawaii-ness. 3 R&R! Enjoy, my fellow PenguinShippers! :3


**Hey, dudes and dudettes! :D**

**I haven't posted on FF in forever it seems. Well, I am going to try to start posting things again! :3 Yay! *happy dance***

**I found this PenguinShipping story on my computer from where I had written it like two years ago... Hehe... ':3**

**I figured I'd post it and see if I could get any feedback.**

**Well, enjoy! :)**

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All along I was just trying to find the answers.

But a memory of someone I had that kept aggravating me by popping into my thoughts suddenly and unexpectedly kept distracting me.

Since my return from my latest journey through Johto, Hoenn, Kanto, and Unova (Yes, I traveled to the Unova Region!) obtaining Contest Ribbons, I was now wondering what I should do next in my career. I have since my amateur coordinating days achieved my long-term dream/goal. I am now a Top Coordinator. I am now amongst the best of the best. Along with Mom, Lila, May, Solidad, Drew, Harley (OMG! Do NOT even get me started about that guy/girl! Ugh!), Zoey, Nando, and Kenny.

So, what to do now? Become a teacher at the new Pokemon Coordinating College where I have been invited so many times on scholarships to work and share my skills at? Travel around the globe again and try to catch some more extraordinary and rare pokemon to train and enter in contests that I have already won? Become a Pokemon Stylist? Or go home and just live out the rest of my life in Twinleaf? So many choices, so much excess time...

To help me sort out my priorities, I decided to take a nice, sweet little stroll down Route 201 to Lake Verity.

It was the perfect time for a walk. The buds on the tree boughs were just beginning to blossom. Soon they would transform into beautiful, exotic smelling flowers whose fabulous aromas always waft through the air. It smells like the sweetest of honeys combined with sugar and cinnamon. And just a hint of strawberries. Yum-ee.

Since I've been home in Twinleaf Town, I've been staying at home with Mom. I know, I know, you're probably thinking, 'Dang! You're how old and still at home with Mom?!'. Well, I am now a mature age of 18. I know, still young and reckless. But I've done A LOT in my eight years as a Pokemon Coordinator. I've trained till my pokemon are so tired they pant and collapse (That was so totally not my fault! They wouldn't stop! Even when I told them to!). And I've even got so tired my legs gave out from under me (Let's just say, that was one heck of a day!)! And I've also scraped up a pretty good bit of money in my banking account with the FPCBU (Federal Pokemon Coordinators Banking Union). I'm trying to save up enough money to eventually buy the house between Mom's and Kenny's. Kenny has been my best friend for YEARS. Since we were little midgets! And that house has been on the market forever it seems.

As I trotted down the soft, earthy path that led to the lake, a quiet, steady breeze kicked up. It blew my azule hair all around my face and neck to the point where it tickled and I giggled like a small schoolgirl. Oh, how I've missed this dirt road leading to our own little paradise.

Kenny and I used to come to our 'secret spot' around the lake every Saturday with a little picnic basket filled with delicious sweet treats. We'd always eat them together and then play hide-and-go-seek or tag until the sun set. Then we'd go home with a promise to do that very same thing the following weekend.

I remember specifically one night we did it. The last night we did it. The memory still panged in my chest and brought salty pinpricks of tears to the corner of my eyes at the thought of that sad night. It was the night before Kenny left on his journey. Since we were older and knew more about the dangers of the outdoors, our mothers let us gaze at the stars together on that last night we knew we'd spend together. We met and ate our goodies, and for a change, we played a different game. I don't remember how exactly I conned him into playing it, but I got Kenny to play a game of Truth or Dare with me.

"_Truth or Dare, Kenny?" I asked patiently._

"_Hmm... Dare!" He replied excitedly._

"_I dare you to go dunk your head in the lake!" I commanded, giddy with myself. _

"_Okay... But if I get a cold on count of you, I'm gunna getcha!" He said, pretending to lunge at me._

"_No you won't!" I exclaimed._

_Kenny smirked and walked over to the water's rippling shoreline. He got down on his knees and dunked his head in the frigid aqua. When he emerged his face from the pool, he jerked his head up causing his hair to mold into the style of a mohawk._

_I bursted into spontaneous laughter and rolled onto my back, unable to hold in the laughter that my body so tried to hold on to._

"_Oh my gosh, Kenny! You look hilarious!" I said, standing up and walking over to him._

_I grabbed the towel from the basket we had brought and handed it to him._

_He put it on his head to try and dry the messy mop of chestnut colored hair on his head._

_When I saw he wasn't doing to good of a job, I walked behind him and took the towel from him._

_He smiled at me, embarrassed that I had to help him._

_I stood there and massaged his scalp for probably a good minute or two to make sure it was dry._

"_Okay, your turn. Truth or Dare, Dawn?" He asked, throwing the towel down on top of the basket._

"_Umm, Truth!" I said._

"_Hmm... Are you glad I'm starting on my journey tomorrow?" _

_I don't know why he even asked that question. He already knew the answer._

"_Kenny. You know I don't want you to leave. I never want you to leave. You're my best friend. And...and... I love you, Kenny." I walked up to him with the darkest crimson blush you could ever imagine_. _I looked into his deep chocolate eyes and hugged him._

_He hugged me back and spoke softly into my ear, "I love you, too, Dawn. You're my best friend." _

_We stood there in a tight embrace for a few minutes. I never wanted this moment to end. I know Kenny's my best friend, but I felt a small spark ignite in my heart. I felt like we were more than best friends. More than a brother/sister feeling. More than what could ever happen..._

_After we hugged, we went to a smooth, rolling hill overlooking the lake and a perfect view of the moon and stars._

_We laid there and gazed, hand in hand, for at least two hours._

_When it was time to go, we gathered everything and headed down Route 201. In the moonlit night, Kenny's eyes sparkled just like a pack of sparklers set on fire. And when he smiled, it was like all the sparklers exploded at once, making a huge explosion that made my heart beat so fast it pounded against my ribs and took my breath away instantly._

'_Why can't we share these feelings? Just you and I? Together forever..._

_If you acknowledge it or not, you'll always be my number one... Forever and always... At least in my heart...'_

_When we arrived at the front of his house, he turned to face me, face-to-face._

_He smiled and I wondered into his pools of milk chocolate. I got lost in them and needed help to escape. I could've stayed lost in them forever. That's one kind of lost I would not mind being. Ever._

_He waved a hand in my face. Obvious to my spaced out expression that I could not hide_.

_I blushed and slid my hands behind my back, as if being handcuffed. _

"_What's up, Dawn? You've been acting all 'out there' this evening." Kenny asked, a confused look adorned his face._

_I turned my head away from him, ashamed of what I was feeling inside. I really didn't know what to make of them. Is this normal? But I've known him for such a long time..._

"_And you haven't talked too much. That's not something the normal Dawn would do. No way."_ _Kenny said, shaking his head in agreement to what he just said._

_I glared at him, eyes like daggers that could penetrate anytime I said, 'Go.'_

_He held up his hands in self-defense and smirked._

_God, how that smirk could flood emotions right through my chambers that led to my delicate heart._

"_Nothing's wrong. I just have a lot on my mind. Y' know, with you leaving tomorrow and all that. It's just," I began to cry," I'm going to miss you like crazy..._" _I barely got it all out before the real heavy sobs poured out._

_Kenny walked over and put his arms around my fragile torso. I laid my head on his shoulder and continued to weep. I just couldn't stop. Not at this point._

"_Shh... shh... it's okay, Dawn." He tried to soothe me and he ran his fingers down the back of my hair, continuously._

_After a few minutes of me bawling, Kenny released me and backed away. _

_I looked up at him, tears still streaked down my stained cheeks, eyes bloodshot._

_I didn't want him to leave me. When he backed away, it felt like we were millions of miles apart. Like it would be from now on. I dreaded tomorrow. And every day that would follow. _

_I just stared at him. I tried to memorize all his handsome features. His eyes, the way they got deeper in color the longer you looked at them. His hair, the way he_ _swooshed his bangs back. His muscular arms and legs, that when he walked they flexed and made him look incredibly strong. His skin tone, that creamy white that made white chocolate look like dirt. And his smile, God, that smile..._

_When I recovered from the look-over, I noticed Kenny was looking at me endearingly. I cocked my head to the side and one of my eyebrows shifted slightly over my eye._

'_Why was he looking at me like that? He couldn't feel what I feel, could he...?'_

_When he noticed that I saw his spacey look, he blushed and walked up to me._

_He hugged me again and I thought I heard him sniffle, quietly. I smiled and returned the show of affection._

_He whispered in my ear, "I love you, Dawn. Don't you ever forget me. We'll meet again, someday." _

_And with that being said, he leant down and kissed my cheek._

_I was as red as an Infernape's crown of flames._

_Kenny backed away and walked up his porch to enter his house. Before he walked in, he made a hand signal at me and smiled. _

_He pointed at himself._

_Then made a heart._

_And then pointed at me._

_I knew exactly what that meant._

_And I'd never forget it._

That was my favorite memory. As I neared the end of the flashback in my head, I was arriving at the lake.

As I walked to the water's edge, I gazed down into it and peered at my reflection.

A well built body. A growing teenage girl's body. My blue medium length hair. My sapphire eyes I had inherited from my mom. My style of fashion I always made sure I possessed.

I looked the same as I did eight years ago except for a few changes that I can't help.

A tear dropped from my cheek.

It made a soft _plop_ in the water that made it ripple.

Oh, how I miss you so, Kenny...

I had yet again got lost in thoughts, emotions, and memories when I heard an all too familiar voice.

No way. It couldn't be. There is no possible way on this earth.

I looked up through soggy eye sockets to locate the person that had spoke.

Kenny.

He was leant up against our tree that we had carved our names on as little kids.

My eyes grew so large I thought they would fall out of their proper places. I rushed over to him and squeezed him so hard he gasped for oxygen.

"Easy!" He protested, enveloping me with his ever so muscular arms.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" I squealed.

"Dawn, why do you think I gave you that hand signal way back when? To me, that means I'll never leave you." With that spoken, he grabbed the sides of my face in his palms and kissed me, softy, cooly, heavenly.

It seems a little walk down the road can solve my most vexing problems.

And start a new path for me to follow.

My home was with Kenny.

In that old house we'd both secretly wanted to share for the rest of our lives.

And hey, if I had to be a stay at home wife for the rest of my life, so be it.

As long as I have Kenny, that's all I'll ever need.

Huh. It's funny how that one stroll can change your life. And decide what your career choice will be from then on.

But hey, stuff happens. Life and love happens.

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**So, how'd you like it? :3**

**I hope everyone who reads my PenguinShipping story likes it!**

**Read and review! X3**

**See you later! *hugs***


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